Arts & Culture

Consignment and thrift stores in the Lehigh Valley carry clothes and accessories to DIY Halloween costumes on a budget.

Ruben Studdard, who won the second season of “American Idol” in 2003 and followed up with two chart-topping albums that went gold and platinum, will perform at Symphony Hall as the “Special Guest Star” of singer/pianist Jim Brickman’s Comfort and Joy Holiday Celebration, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23.

The owner of Smartivities Showcase has opened a second location at the Promenade Saucon Valley.

The event is organized by Interlace Cultural y Desarrollo Integral de Lehigh Valley in partnership with the Baum Art School and the City of Allentown.

Drake Bell, who is best known for his starring roles on Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show” with Amanda Bynes from 1999-02, and “Drake & Josh” from 2004-07, will perform at 7 p.m. Jan. 17 at Signature Event Center, 137 Erin Lane, Brodheadsville.

11Fest will be from 5-11 p.m. Nov. 11 (11/11) inside the Main Library at 11 W. Church St., Bethlehem.

A four-man crew has been making haste since Oct. 1 in putting up the decorations, with most of the wreaths, ribbons, light wraps, trees and stars currently hanging on light poles above streets in South Bethlehem and along the city’s bridges.

The Indoor Auto Racing Series, in which the cars compete on the concrete floor, will drive into the area Jan. 3-4 for the ninth running of the Ironton Global Allentown Indoor Races.

The festival, which features which retailers, artisans and food in heated tents on the SteelStacks campus, will open for its 32nd year on the weekend of Nov. 15.

Easton's Frank Pintabone announced Wednesday that a Hispanic Resource Day, catering to the needs of the city's Hispanic population, will be hosted at the Easton Area Community Center in November.

The popular B-29 Doc plane rides are returning in the Lehigh Valley for two more days this week, starting tomorrow.

The second annual Greenway Pride event in Bethlehem drew a warm crowd despite the damp weather. Attendees said the Lehigh Valley needs more events and places that cater to the region's LGBT community.

The Young Playwrights' Festival features scripts written by 13 elementary and middle school students from Bethlehem. The show will take place on Sunday at Northeast Middle School.

Mi Casa Restaurante in Easton serves traditional dishes from Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.

The Coopersburg Farmer Market will be open on Sundays starting June 2 through Oct. 27.

J&J Demolition Derby, a Labor Day mainstay at Allentown Fairgrounds, will return to the fair for its closing-night grandstand entertainment offering on Sept. 2.

Blippi, whose energetic and educational antics have made him a global sensation, will bring his live show Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour to the fair on Aug. 29.

As the Pennsylvania Youth Theatre seeks a new home, the students will put on a rendition of "Wizard of Oz" at Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University later this week.

Easton Public Market will celebrate its eighth anniversary on Friday, May 17, with a special party featuring vendors, the band A Few Good Men, and a fundraiser benefiting Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.

The rise of streaming platforms and labor unrest in Hollywood has forced Roxy Theatre in Northampton to change its business model. It started airing first-run films for the first time on Friday.

Christopher Sipos remembers his late-grandmother's love of birds but was pleasantly surprised to find her collection of antique baking soda trading cards that feature the feathered beauties.

Rockers Orgy, with opening act Cold, will play at 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 17, at Maingate Nightclub in Allentown. Tickets, at $25 in advance and $30 day of show, are available at maingatenightclub.com